


Deadline Day

by tauri



Category: Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Community: fandomweekly, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 04:37:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5953894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tauri/pseuds/tauri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Professor Sycamore welcomes the newest Pokémon trainers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deadline Day

**Author's Note:**

> For challenge #001 at fandomweekly, 'New Beginnings'.

There was so much to prepare for, and an ever-shrinking amount of time before the deadline. Augustine was never one to show stress in front of his colleagues, only giving them a smile and a pat on the back while telling them that it would all be fine, but even _he_ wasn't immune to feeling the pressure as every morning brought another crossed-off day on the calendar. The day-to-day research was put aside in favor of preparing the new trainers; the endless paperwork checking on their backgrounds and eligibility, communication from parents and guardians, lists of information that had to be kept in the right place and used at the necessary time. If not that, then came the preparation for the Pokémon, to be given to the newly-qualified trainers. The breeding was done in-house at the research laboratory, but under the watchful eye of the professionals from Rivière Walk. The eggs needed to be taken care of and hatched in that time, checked for their health, and measured under guidelines as to their suitability for the new Pokémon trainers - they _were_ still children, after all.

Each day almost seemed to melt into the next. Augustine would look at the calendar in his office, _it can't be Friday again, surely!?_ Everything was going to plan, but there was _so much_ to plan, and so much to do before that deadline. He knew that once the process of meeting with the new trainers and seeing them off was over then all this stress would be forgotten, but that didn't help in the current moment. It was the same every year; each time he would wonder if there had been some better way to plan all of this, some way to streamline their duties, but every time they would end up going with what was familiar. That, in itself, brought a small level of comfort.

It happened on the first of the month. That one particular morning, that new day, _the day of the deadline_. Augustine paced around his office, hoping that they hadn't forgotten anything, wondering what there was _to_ forget. And then his assistants were calling on him, because the newly-qualified trainers were approaching. The trainers were here and the Pokémon were ready - what more was there? Augustine had his speeches prepared, and never tired of giving them. It was perhaps a routine occurrence for _them_ , but for these trainers, it would be unlike anything they'd ever experienced.

They gazed at him, wide-eyed, as he told them of the majesty of Kalos, the wonders of Pokémon, the trials and tribulations that would await them. The joy of raising a trusted companion, the friends they would meet, the challenges that lay in every gym up to the Pokémon League. The trainers chose their Pokémon, and the assistants handed them over with a smile. Most of the children were used to Pokémon in their daily lives, but this was the first time that they would have a Pokémon that was _theirs_.

Augustine stood with his hands on his hips, watching appreciatively as the trainers - now free to go - marvelled at their new Pokémon. Some were timid, reaching out to touch gently, as if frightened. Others laughed with wonder, taking their Pokémon up in enthusiastic embraces - luckily, the Pokémon had been reared to be used to human touch, and seemed to be just as excited.

It was impossible to watch that scene and not think of _last year_ , though. Augustine liked to think that he remembered all of the trainers that came through his laboratory, but that one particular group, he wouldn't forget. How could he? They'd had to take on danger and responsibilities far beyond their age and experience. The rise and fall of Team Flare, the betrayal of Lysandre, the terrifying prospect of _just how close_ they came to unleashing the Ultimate Weapon on the world and the awful consequences that that would have had. He remembered those children and their Pokémon, thought back to how they had _no idea_ of what was waiting for them on their Pokémon journey. He thought back to how he, too, had had no idea; it seemed so easy to look back and see the signs, but then, of _course_ it was. It was always easier to look back than to look forward.

He tried to brush those thoughts away. Likely these children would be aware of what had happened over the past year, even if only as some distant event that didn't concern them. Perhaps some of them looked to the news reports, thinking about how amazing it was that a group of Pokémon trainers were able to achieve so much. Perhaps those children would act as role-models, as idols for younger trainers to look up to - but Augustine hoped that those ideals would remain only as lofty vague enthusiasm in the minds of _these_ trainers. They would go out on their own, but be helped by those around them. They would take on the Pokémon League challenge, but that was watched and regulated. Perhaps they would experience sadness, but only with happiness to match it.

As the new Pokémon trainers left the laboratory, Augustine steeled his resolve. He still felt it partly his fault, what had happened with Lysandre - he was determined not to let anything like that happen again. The world didn't need that, and _these children_ didn't need that. It was the start of their Pokémon journey, and it was like a new beginning for the region; Team Flare had been eradicated, and the residents of Kalos had no need to live in fear of their crimes any longer.

 _These children should only know a peaceful Kalos_. More than anything, Augustine wished for that to be true.


End file.
